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Sustainable aquaculture

The coastline of Myanmar faces theIndian Ocean in Rakhine State, the Bayof Bengal in Ayeyarwady Division, andthe Andaman Sea in TanintharyiDivision. These long stretches of coastprovide 213,720 km2 of continental shelfwith water rich in nutrients and marinelife. Myanmar is also endowed withlarge rivers and huge networks of theirtributaries that are rich in freshwaterfisheries resources.

Myanmar’s inland water bodiesconsist of 8.2 million hectares of lakes,rivers and reservoirs, producing morethan 53 million tons of fish and prawnsin 2002-3 including catch from 3,742lease fisheries. During the monsoonseason from May to September,inundated flooded plain are breedingand nursery grounds for freshwaterfishes. At this time of year, DOF isstocking fish seed and broodstock innatural and man-made water bodies toenhance and sustain commerciallyimportant species.

Fisheries have a major role in socialand economic development; the peopleof Myanmar are largely rice and fisheaters. Annual per capita fishconsumption was 26.18 kg in 2002, andfisheries are the country’s third largestsector in export earnings, afteragriculture and forestry.

Aquaculture has been the fastestgrowing sector for over a decade,registering a growth rate of over 40percent per year since 1988, comparedwith 5 percent for capture fisheries. By

Opportunities and challenges in Myanmar aquaculture

U Hla Win

1988 there were only 6,300 acres (2,550hectares) of fishponds. As fish is thestaple diet for the people and one ofthe potential growth industries in thenational economy of Myanmar, theState Peace and Development Councilpromulgated Aquaculture Law No. 24/89, which lead to a substantial increasein the number of fishponds in thecountry.

The Department of Fisheries plays avital role in National Aquaculturedevelopment. There are 14 fisheriesstations for fish seed production,located in Mandalay Division in theupper Myanmar region, Bago Division,Ayeyarwady Division, and YangonDivision in the lower part of thecountry. In line with the three-year fishculture development special project, 19new stations are being establishedthroughout the country. These stationswill:• produce quality seeds;• provide fish seed to fish farmers and

stock replenishing activities andculture-based fisheries;

• impart technical knowledge onaquaculture and expertise to fishfarmers through extension services;

• conduct aquaculture research andtraining.

Status and targets

Freshwater fish culture has beenpracticed since the early 1950s andcurrently almost 50,000 hectares offreshwater fishponds are underoperation. However, marine finfishculture has only recently begun to takehold as a commercial venture by privatecompanies and is only present in a fewplaces at present. Local communitieshave not previously been interested infarming seabass (Lates calcarifer) andgroupers (Epinephelus spp.) as theyare abundant and easy to catch.Recently, due to high foreign marketdemand, groupers and seabass havebecome more popular for fisheriestrade, which has encouraged farmers tobegin trials on their aquaculture.

A three-year fish culture expandedplan (2000-2003) has been prepared toaccelerate the development of theaquaculture sector. The plan’s targetsinclude: Development of 26,315hectares of fishpond and establishmentof 19 new fishery stations, includingthree stations for mariculture. The DOFmariculture fishery station is underconstruction at Chaungtha inAyeyarwady Division. Two others areto be constructed at Taungok

Sub-leased lake-based fishing, such as the unique ‘saung’ trap (opposite) used by Inthafishers on Inle Lake in Shan State provides a livelihood for canoe owners for an annualfee of K1000. Fishers can fish every day and sell their catch at K600.

Large-scale fisheries of 10s to 100s ofacres are leased, via auction, to thosewith means to operate and sustain them.Lease holders are required to managethese as culture-based fisheries.

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Sustainable aquaculture

Township in Rakhine State and KyunSu Township (Myeik area) inTaninthayi Division respectively.

The area of aquaculture in 2002-2003was 127,204 hectares including 80,000hectares of freshwater prawn (M.rosenbergii) and marine shrimp (P.monodon) ponds.

Mariculture

Commercial scale net cage culture ofgroupers is found in Kyun SuTownship (Myeik area) in TaninthayiDivision. It is a pioneering farm run byprivate sector, which has some 300-350net cages of 3 x 3 x 3 meters in size. Iton-grows Epinephelus coioides and E.tauvina. Grouper juveniles arecollected from the wild during Maythrough November. Different sizes ofjuveniles of 10 cm to 25 cm are stocked.According to initial stocking size,culture period varies from three totwelve months to reach marketable size.Generally stocking rate is 800-2,500fishes per cages depending on the fishsize and the survival rate is about 30%at harvest.

Similarly grouper juveniles arecollected at Thandwe and GwaTownship, in Rakhine State for holdingin net cages before marketing. Fish are

fed with small trash fishes for someperiod until they attain size andstrength for transport to grow-out farmand restaurants, as well as for export.The most common species in that areais E. coioides but commercial-scaleculture is not yet practiced in that area.

Regarding sea bass farming,hatchery management techniques areurgently needed for its developmentinto commercial culture. Inadequateseed supply due to lack of skills inhatchery technology is now the majorconstraint for the development ofmarine finfish aquaculture.

Freshwater culture

Freshwater pond fish culture is a majorsource of aquaculture production. Thedominant species is Rohu (Labeorohita). Most farmers practicepolyculture, using major carps, andcommon carps. Farmers in upperMyanmar prefer to stock fingerling 2 to5 cm but those in lower Myanmarespecially in Yangon and AyeyarwadyDivision, prefer stocking yearling of 12to 15 cm so that the fish can reachmarketable size in a short time.

A common practice is to put 3,000yearlings into an acre of pond. Cultureperiod is 10-12 months and the averageyield 5 tons per acre (or 12 tons perhectare).

The most successful cultureindustry is found in TwanteeTownship, near Yangon where 50% ofthe total fishpond area is situated. Thesizes of the ponds vary from four toeight hectares with an average waterdepth of 1.5 meters.

Tilapia cage culture has beendemonstrated successfully by DOF inthe Ayeyarwady River in MagweDivision, situated in the dry zonewhere there is not only poor soilcondition but also scarce waterresources for fish culture. Altogetherover 300 cages of 5 x 5 x 3 metre size arestocked with 2,000 fish seed per cage.One company, the Yuzana Companyhas cage culture operations inAyeyarwady River in the delta region.Pangasius species are grown in cagesof 2 x 8 x 8m at a rate of 110,000 fish 10cm size per cage.

Culture species

Twelve freshwater fish species arebeing cultivated, Rohu (Labeo rohita),Catla (Catla catla), Mrigal (Cirrhinus

This canoe ownerat Inle Lake claimshook and line gearprovides a betterreturn for the sameK1,000 annual fee.This man will leavehis 200 m line (withhooks at meterintervals baitedwith shrimp)overnight every dayof the year. Bestcatches are inApril.

Grouper cageculture near Myeik

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Sustainable aquaculture

mrigala), Common Carp (Cyprinuscarpio), Grass carp(Ctenopharyngodon idella), Big headcarp (Aristichthys nobilis), Silver carp(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), Redtilapia (Tilapia mossambica, T.nilotica), Hybrid catfish (Clariasgariepinus x Clarias macrocephalus),Rohtee (Rohtee cortio), Striped catfish(Pangasius hypopthalmus). DOF hasrecently succeeded in breeding threenew species, freshwater pomfret(Pitratus brachypomum), feather back(Notopterus chitala), and silver barb(Puntius gonionotus).

The stations under the Departmentare producing quality fish seeds byapplying various breeding techniques.Fish seed production in 2000-2001 wasover 300 million out of which 85 millionfish seed were stocked into naturalwater such as lakes reservoirs and bigrivers. To expand the industry a goodnumber of seeds are distributed freelyto potential fish farms and institutionsas an incentive.

Experiences and culture techniquesof some species such as eel (Anguillaspp; Synbramchus spp.), Soft shellturtle (Tryonix spp and Lyssemes spp.)are also to be introduced. Thereforetraining course on culture andpropagation techniques ofcommercially importance species isneeded.

Feeds

Most of the aquaculture feeds are madeup of locally available agricultural by-products such as rice bran, boiledbroken rice, and oil cakes ofgroundnut, sesame, and coconut andcotton seed. Rice bran and groundnutcake are a major source of fish fed andpellet feed are commonly used incatfish farms. To attain one kilogram offish about 4-5 kilograms of bran arefeed. So food conversion ratio is 4-5,depending on quality and type of ricebran FCR is significantly improvedwhen it is mixed with other ingredients,vitamin and minerals.

Several feed factories have beenestablished recently. They areproducing thirty to fifty tons offormulated fish or shrimp feed per dayin pellet form. Apart from these biggerones, medium size feed mills with dailyproduction capacity of five to ten tonsof aqua-feed either in mixed powder or

pellet from are also supporting the fastgrowing industry.

Challenges

The aquaculture sector faces a numberof constraints despite its seeminglybright prospects and high potential forexpansion and continued growth.There is also an urgent need toconsider the practical foundation onwhich to establish a sustainableaquaculture sector to ensuresustainable development. Awareness ofenvironmental responsibilities in theaquaculture industry is growing andfarmers and investors are increasinglypracticing improved managementpractices.

The following issues faceMyanmar’s fast growing aquaculturesector:• Technologies and farming systems• Environmentally friendly

technologies, which have benignimpact on the community. Dueconsideration should be given inselection of farming system applied,i.e. traditional, extensive, semi-intensive, intensive, super intensive.

• Improved management practices andcodes of good practice foraquaculture sector.

• Minimize the harmful effects of farm-bred species to the ecosystem.

• Improved culture-based fisheries.

Species

Selection and improvement of speciesfeeding low on the food chain.• Appropriate use of genetic

resources and biotechnology.• Careful introduction of exotic

species.• Diversification of animal and plant

species for aquaculture.

Socio-economics

Better awareness of responsibleaquaculture concepts and practices.• Mitigating the impact of industrial

aquaculture in rural areas.• Improving the contribution of small-

scale aquaculture to rurallivelihoods.

• Defining property rights and accessto resources.

• Mitigate conflicts among commonresource users.

Fish seeds

• A consistent supply of high qualityand healthy seeds.

• Deterioration of quality seed due toinbreeding, limited number ofcaptive and wild breeders, lack oftechniques in broodstockmanipulation and poor hatcherytechnologies.

Feeds

• Improving the efficiency of foodthrough good aquaculture feedmanufacturing practice and feedingtechniques.

• Cost effective feed.• Research on the dietary nutrient

requirement and feeding habits ofcultured species.

• Culture of species that can utilizegood farm made feed rather thanrequire high quality protein richfeed.

Conclusion

There are considerable opportunitiesfor further development in aquaculture,especially mariculture in Myanmar.Joint efforts of the government and theprivate sector would realize for thenation and people the hugeaquaculture potential. To do so withoutthe adverse side effects and impacts onthe environment and social harmony,the government is taking measures toencourage, with appropriate incentivesand assistance, the investors, farmersand other stakeholders to practiceresponsible production practices. Ithas, for instance, tasked theDepartment of Fisheries with theresponsibility of promoting theconservation of biodiversity andhabitats and providing assistance to allforms of aquaculture.

U Hla Win is the Deputy DirectorGeneral for Fisheries. He had beennational coordinator for the RegionalSeafarming Development Project ofUNDP/FAO managed from NACA,coordinator for NACA in Myanmar,and chairman of the GoverningCouncil.